Serpentine Empire

Chapter 7

As the black Cadillac Escalade cruised through the dark streets, Isabel sat beside me in the back seat, her eyes fixated on the documents she had taken from Anthony's desk. Her sharp focus made her seem like a hawk surveying its prey, calculating her next move.

Meanwhile, I sat in a daze, my mind replaying the scene over and over—the way Isabel plunged the pen into Anthony's neck, the gurgling sounds of his dying breaths, and the icy, detached look in her eyes as she delivered the final blow.

"Are you going to ask?" she said suddenly, her voice breaking the silence but not her gaze from the papers. "What's going on? Why did I kill that man? What kind of business I'm running?"

I hesitated, unsure where to start. "Who are you, Isabel? You're not just a rich girl from a wealthy family, are you?"

She smirked slightly but didn't look up. "Where should I begin? My family's business isn't just pharmaceuticals and technology, Damon. That's the shiny exterior. Behind the scenes, we're much more. Fashion, construction, mining, real estate, banking, finance—you name it, we've got a hand in it. But before all that... before we were known as a pharmaceutical giant, we were something darker."

I raised an eyebrow. "Darker?"

"My family started as illegal drug manufacturers," she said bluntly. "We produced and tested drugs for criminal organizations and anyone willing to pay top dollar. Eventually, we had to clean our dirty money, so we began investing in small startups across Europe. Money laundering 101."

"Money laundering," I muttered.

"Exactly," Isabel continued. "After years of this, we shifted into legitimate pharmaceuticals. Our products exploded on the market—groundbreaking prescription drugs that raked in millions. We built a reputation as trustworthy pioneers in medicine. But don't be fooled. Even after going legitimate, my family never abandoned the illegal drug trade. Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, benzodiazepines—if it's profitable, we're in it."

I sat back, stunned. "So the Kuntz Group... is a front for a German cartel?"

"If that's how you want to label us," she said with a shrug. "Our motto is simple: wherever there's money, we'll be there to collect it. My family doesn't stop at drugs, Damon. We dabble in assassinations, fraud, human trafficking, and bribery. That's how we dominate every industry we enter."

Her words chilled me to the bone. "And where do you fit into all of this?"

Her expression darkened. "My grandfather thought I was... odd. Dangerous, even. Instead of giving me a prestigious role in the legal businesses—like my father and brothers—he handed me the crumbling remnants of our drug empire. A poisoned gift. After my grandfather burned the organization to the ground, I was left to rebuild it from scratch."

"And you're doing it?" I asked, incredulous.

She grinned a glint of pride in her eyes. "Piece by piece. My empire now stretches from Asia to America, and my goal is simple: to grow it so large and profitable that my father can't ignore it. He'll try to take it from me, and that's when I'll strike."

"To destroy him," I said, piecing it together.

"To destroy them all," she clarified. "My family thinks they're untouchable. But no one is. Not even snakes."

Her words hung heavy in the air, the weight of her hatred palpable.

"Isn't this whole plan dangerous?" I asked. "What if they find out what you're doing?"

"My father is a businessman first," she explained. "To him, I'm just a spoiled daughter with no real potential. He gave me the failing drug empire as a way to keep me busy and out of the way. But if I grow it large enough, he'll try to take it back, thinking it's his victory. That's when I'll expose him. My only challenge is reducing his influence over the FBI, CIA, and Interpol. He's paid off too many people and has dirt on the rest. I just need to find out what he has on them and use it to my advantage."

I shook my head in disbelief. "This sounds like something out of a movie. How are you even going to pull this off?"

She leaned closer, her eyes narrowing. "By being more ruthless than they expect. My family doesn't understand restraint—they only respect power. If I can't prove myself stronger than them, I'm nothing. And I refuse to be nothing."

"Why did you drag me into this?" I asked, exasperated. "I'm just an ordinary guy. Am I going to have to watch someone die every time I'm with you?"

"You're already in too deep, Damon," Isabel said flatly. "You're a good fighter. If it weren't for you, Anthony's guards might have shot me. I don't need someone who just follows orders. I need someone who questions me, someone with a moral compass that's different from mine."

"So I'm just your entertainment?" I shot back.

"Is that so bad?" she asked with a sly smile. "All you have to do is stay by my side and protect me."

Her words unsettled me. How could I protect someone so consumed by bloodshed?

"Are you curious about Anthony?" she asked suddenly, changing the subject.

"The man you just killed?"

"Anthony was the owner of a British trading company," she explained. "Officially, they shipped food, clothes, and jewelry. Unofficially, they moved drugs. A lot of drugs. He was making over $3 million a day and nearly a billion a year on narcotics alone. But he was greedy, always demanding higher cuts. He made enemies everywhere, but his trade routes were invaluable."

"So, what now? How do you plan to use his trade routes when he's dead?"

She smirked. "I bought his company. A tender offer—the perfect way to acquire control."

"You're insane," I muttered.

"Maybe," she said with a shrug. "But I always get what I want."

Her confidence was terrifying. Isabel wasn't just dangerous—she was unstoppable. And as much as I wanted to walk away, I knew it was too late.

This woman, this demon, had already sunk her venomous fangs into me.